Bob Van Noy

1944 - 2021

Bob Van Noy
May 5, 1944 - October 1, 2021
Sacramento, California - Bob Van Noy was born to Fred Emmitt and Mary Van Noy in Sparks, Nevada, on May 5, 1944. He was little brother to Freddie and raised almost entirely by Mary, in a time when that wasn't the norm. Together, Mary and Bob formed a tight little team against the world.
Sparks largely revolved around the Southern Pacific Railway, and the tracks and trains were a backdrop to Bob's childhood, along with the field across from his home where he had wide open space to roam. Mr. Decker, a family friend and train engineer, took Bob under his wing and allowed him to ride the rails on many locomotive adventures. Bob was even able to peek through the porthole of the train engine's headlight and watch the world whizz by.
Bob's life turned to technicolor in high school, when he joined the Sparks High School Railroaders as fullback. He went to school and football practice by day, and worked every weeknight at a produce packing plant, where he unloaded huge crates of fruit and vegetables so he could buy a classic '55 Chevrolet Bel Air 2-door hardtop. Because of his long hours, often Bob could barely stay awake in class and was always grateful for classmates who prodded him when he started to drift off. It was all worth it, though: Bob glowed with pride as he proudly drove his always-immaculate dream car around town, a smile plastered on his face from ear to ear.
While most of his friends delayed their mandatory military service until after college, Bob enlisted immediately after high school to take advantage of the GI Bill. He proudly served in the 101st Airborne for three years rather than the two required, with the promise that he could play football in the military. As Bob served his time in the Army, the world was changing; shortly after enlisting, America was immersed in the Cuban Missile Crisis and there was widespread fear of a nuclear war. One day in the fall of 1962, Bob's unit was told it was being deployed to an unknown destination. They waited for hours on the tarmac, first with the plane engines running and then with them off. The soldiers onboard knew something was happening, but they didn't know what. Ultimately, the plane never moved and the troops were told to deplane. It wasn't until later that Bob and his cohorts learned that, during those hours, JFK and other world leaders had negotiated their way out of a treacherous situation.
Because of his early entry to the armed service, in a fluke of timing, Bob continued on to attend Sacramento State College, while most of his high school friends served in Vietnam. At Sac State, Bob played football and continued on to be a trainer. For extra money, he took care of the sports fields. As he was watering one day, he noticed a cute cheerleader practicing. It turns out that cheerleader was his soulmate, Sheila (Hallissy) Van Noy. They were married in 1971, and shared their lives for the next fifty years.
Once out of college, both Bob and Sheila went to photography school where Bob realized he had an innate talent for architectural photography. He submitted some of his first photos to a San Francisco architectural firm that went on to hire him, and Van Noy Photography was born. Bob and Sheila worked side by side on their craft, enjoying the freedom of a home business and, later on, the time it afforded them to spend with their children, Nikki and Nicholas. Nikki and Nicholas were able to tag along on photo shoots to locations like the now-transformed Crocker family mansion and the inner belly of the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. They watched as Bob photographed from cherry pickers and helicopters, and were there to witness the early-morning "magic light," as Bob called it. It's probably not surprising that this sort of childhood nurtured two artists; a writer and musician, respectively.
Bob was honored and proud to be the first photographer in Sacramento to be published in Architectural Digest. He photographed for all of the leading architects in Sacramento as the city grew by leaps and bounds. Thanks to his ability to capture the magic light in such a way that it accentuated the line, form, and detail of his photographs, Bob's beautiful images helped architects win awards.
Bob was passionate about many things over the course of his lifetime. He was a voracious reader and researcher, and could intelligently converse on almost any subject. He loved coffee and the New York Times, classic cars and 'rods, philosophy and JFK. He loved hiking in the mountains and spending time at Donner Lake. He loved the beach, its many details, and the crashing waves. He loved collecting feathers and photographing flowers. He loved Sheila and he loved being a dad. In these last few years, Bob's greatest love of all was becoming Pop Pop to Izzy, with whom he formed a mutual adoration society.
Bob's love of dogs was another constant throughout his lifetime. Together, he and Sheila considered nine dogs an integral part of their family over the years; most recently, Bob's grand-dog watched over him to the end, ushering him to the foot of the Rainbow Bridge.
Bob will be forever missed and loved by Sheila, Nikki, and Izzy, through whom his love and artistic sensibilities will live on. He is joyously (and, in certain cases, mischievously) reunited with Nicholas, Mary, Freddie, and several beloved dogs. Bob is surely watching over those who love and miss him dearly here, spreading feathers across their paths so they know he's still close by.
We will celebrate Bob's life at a future date. In lieu of flowers, we hope that you will remember his kindness, get up early, and go outside to soak in the magic light of dawn.